Tuesday, June 30, 2009

I received a request to breakdown the look worn by Aishwarya Rai on the cover of Verve India. Aish looks absolutely stunning in this red gown, and I love that she has neutral, not flashy makeup. She has a minimalist look, but is still able to make the eyes the focus. I am still recovering from my trip last week and am feeling too lazy to actually put the makeup on myself, but keep reading for my interpretation of how to achieve Aish's look.

All makeup by MAC, unless otherwise noted.

Eyes: Start by applying a skin color base, either Urban Decay Primer Potion or Painterly Paint Pot. Apply an eyeshadow color similar or one shade darker than your lid color, for me I would use Arena all over the lid. Then use a color that is a couple shades darker and has an earthy tone to it. I would choose Haux and apply it to the entire crease area, not just the outer crease. Make sure you blend blend blend to avoid any harsh lines. Next, lightly pick up a shimmery vanilla-y shade like All That Glitters with the 224 brush and gently apply it to the center of the lid and blend. It should be light reflecting, not overly shimmery. Highlight with Ricepaper or whatever color matches your skin tone. Then line the upper lash line with a black pencil and smudge it out ever so gently. You don't want a smudgy smoky eye, but you dont want a harsh line either. You can also try lining with a pencil and then going over it with Carbon eyeshadow just to create a more softer line. Use Carbon to lightly line the outer 2/3 of the lower lash line. You may be able to skip this step if you have thick lashes and use mascara on the lower lashes. If you have naturally thick, lush lashes, you can curl them and apply a thickening mascara like Plushlash. Use on top lashes and lightly on the lower lashes. If you need help in the lash area, use false lashes like the MAC 7's. Lastly, fill in brows with a coordinating shadow that matches your hair color. I find that Embark works well for most dark haired Indian women.

Face: Use a medium coverage foundation like MAC Face and Body Foundation and apply to the face and into the neck/jawline to make sure your face matches your neck. Blend with a sponge or using the 187 in a circular motion. Apply Mineralize Skinfinish Natural powder. Aish has naturally great cheekbones, but you can achieve the look by contouring with a brown blush such as Enough Said or using sculpt powder in a shade 1-2 shades darker than your skin tone. Apply a peachy blush like Margin and blend with the contour color. Highlight the top of the cheekbones and the bridge of the nose with a a highlighter like Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle. With whatever highlight product is left on your brush gently brush over your chin.

Lips: Line and fill in the lips with Sublime Culture Cremestick Liner, and then apply Half and Half lipstick. Aish's lips are semi matte, but if you like a little gloss you can top it off with some clear gloss.

Ta-da! For more info on Aishwarya and to see more pics from the magazine, click here.

Monday, June 29, 2009

I have been blessed (cursed?) with the typical desi, thick, wavy hair. Not curly enough and not straight enough to be worn naturally. Thus I succcumb to the hair industry as I am always in need of hair products and good hair irons. A few months ago my flat iron conked out on me. I had heard amazing things about the Sedu flat iron so decided to give it a try. I have the Sedu Pro Ionic Ceramic Tourmaline Flat Iron (1.5"). Ladies, this baby works wonders. It leaves my hair soft, shiny, stick straight, and it takes only 15 minutes to do all my hair! My Sedu is by far the best straightener I have ever used, and I have used a lot of them. I have even had the Japanese hair staightening treatment known as rebonding. More on that in a later post.

I did a lot of research, as I most often do, and the Sedu is available only at Folica.com. Right now they are having a great sale and I recommend checking out some of their products. The flat iron model I have is not on sale (it's $120, and they often have $20 off coupons and free shipping over $50, so you can get it for $100), but they do have a great Sedu set called the Sedu Pink Revolution Sleek and Straight Set. This includes a pink Sedu Revolution Pro Nano Ceramic Tourmaline 1 Inch Iron, a Sedu Professional Straightening Accessory Comb, a Folica Pop-Up Brush and Travel Bag, and a Vera Bradley Signature Bag (a $294.98 value) all for only $99.99. The only thing I would be iffy about is that the iron is pink, but if you love pink like I do, then it's an even better deal!

The Sedu Revolution iron is supposed to be great because it has a rounded edge so you can use it to create curls and waves. It might even be more amazing than the iron I have because you can straighten and curl with just one tool! I haven't tried this one but I have friends who use it and they love it so I'm sure it is fabulous.

Since I have a great iron already I am considering getting the Sedu hair dryer that is on sale. I know it's pricey, but my flat iron was just as expensive and it just might have been the best $100 I spent this year.

I recently tried out the Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster and so far so good! It is a liquid, orange colored serum that is supposed to brighten skin and help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. I like that it is loaded with tons of antioxidants and natural ingredients like Vitamins C, E and Grapefruit Extract, so you know that you aren't putting a whole lotta crap on your face. The smell is a wonderful citrusy fragrance that does fade once the product is absorbed. The only negative is that it is slightly sticky, but the product absorbs quickly and so does the stickiness, so it really isn't that big of a deal. I have only used this for about 10 days or so, and I do see a bit of brightness in my skin. I am not so sure about the anti-aging effects, but it has rave reviews on Sephora, and I tend to trust Sephora reviews. I have been using this at night before I use moisturizer, but you can use this either day or night. The price is a bit hefty at $48 for 1oz, but I do find that a little goes a LONG way since this product is a liquid. With gel consistency serums, I end up using more because they don't spread out very well on the skin. Have any of you tried this? What anti-aging products do you recommend?

Friday, June 26, 2009

Hi All! I have been out of town for the past week so I have not had the time to post anything. I will be back next week so I promise I will catch up on the posts then!! Hope you all are enjoying your summer so far!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

I have been on the search for an eyeliner that replicates the effect of the traditional Indian kajal, and actually stays on the waterline. I want something that doesn't migrate below my lash line and smudge all over the place, making it look like I had a sob session. When I heard from several sources and read many reviews that the Stila Kajal Eye Liner works pretty well on the waterline, I had to try it out!

I picked up the black one in Onyx and if I had to give this a grade I would give it a B. It is not the worst one out there, but it definitely did not meet all my criteria.

Pros:

- The color is an intense black

- It is soft like a kajal should be and doesn't tug on the lid

- Doesn't last all day, but does not fade/migrate completely like most kajal liners

Cons:

- Lasts only about 30 minutes before it starts to fade

- A bit pricey at $18 a pop

This works really well if you are looking for a smudgy black liner to line the eyelid, especially for a smoky eye, but then again tons of pencils do the same and are much cheaper.

The search continues for a great waterline pencil, so if you have any recommendations, let me know!

Monday, June 15, 2009

The MAC friends and family was supposed to start tomorrow but guess what, the discount code is working today! Thanks to Temptalia for letting us in on this. From now till June 18th, get 25% off all MAC products on maccosmetics.com by entering code SUMO at checkout. Bonus: if your order after discount is greater than $60, you get free shipping automatically! Hurry though, they tend to sell out of stuff pretty quickly during these friends and family sales.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

So I know this is totally unrelated, and I may lose a few readers because of this, but I just had to share how EXCITED I am that the Lakers won the 2009 NBA Finals! YAAAYYYYY!!! The Magic put up a great fight and I applaud them, but in the end, LA brought it home! #24 baby!

It's that time again for the International Makeup Artist Trade Show (IMATS) in Los Angeles! IMATS will be held at the Pasadena Convention Center on June 20th and 21st. Although it is mostly for makeup artists, anyone can go! There will be TONS of booths from makeup companies, agents, modeling companies, and just about anyone in the makeup biz. They will also have TONS of demos, you can get your makeup done, and even purchase products that the pros use! The makeup vendors are even known to heavily discount products at the end of the second day so they don't have to carry them back to where they traveled from. For more info, click here.

Get 25% all purchases on www.maccosmetics.com from June 16 through June 18!!!! Start making your lists since I know they tend to sell out of stuff pretty quickly! Check back on Tuesday June 16 for the code!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

I have heard lots of great things about the MAC Lightful Deep Ultramoisture Creme so I had to try it out for myself, and guess what, its AMAZING!!! This is one of the best moisturizers I have ever used....and I have tried quite a few in my time!

Lightweight, gel-like cream. Provides a moisture-locking barrier for long-lasting protection. Instantly hydrates the skin for a smoother skin surface, and helps it look more luminous over time.

This creme is light, but very moisturizing. Although it is called a creme, it has more of a gel like consistency and is not at all heavy but it moisturizes very well. It absorbs so quickly and gives the skin a smooth feel and is not at all greasy. This works well in the morning to moisturize as well as prime the skin, but also works a a great night creme. This isn't supposed to make you lighter, but it is supposed to make the skin tone more even and smooth. I had a few dry patches around my nose due to allergies and this cured that completely. I have only been using this for about a week and already love it so I can't wait to see the results as I continue to use it.

This moisturizer even has some great ingredients in it, though I forgot what most of them are. The sales associate at MAC was telling me about them and this has a lot of natural antioxidant ingredients that are great for your skin. I know most people think MAC is good for makeup only, but they have some great skin care as well and I am a fan of this moisturizer. I know I recommend a lot of products but this one really is fabulous! Try it!!!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

There is an article on Female First on Bollywood Actress Bipasha Basu's beauty tips. I was hoping to learn about some of her favorite products and tricks to looking good, but instead the actress revealed the very things I hate doing:

- She drinks 10 glasses of water a day - I have a hard time trying to fit in 8

- She eats six small meals at regular intervals throughout the day - I don't do well with the small meal concept...I like food too much

- She exercises 4 times a week at least 1 hour each time - I have no excuses other than the fact that I am just plain lazy

Now, I don't expect to look like her anytime soon even if I did those things, which might be a good thing since my fiance thinks there are much better looking Bollywood starts than Bipasha, but I still think she looks very sultry and exotic.

Bath and Body Works Semi Annual sale is going on now and will go on through the first week in July. If you shop through Sunday, June 14th you can get an additional 20% off any purchase of $25 or more. You can either click here to print out a coupon to use in store or use offer code 9656 to make a purchase online. Happy shopping and hope you score some great deals!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Dove has released a new hair minimizing deodorant that promises to slow down hair growth in a matter of 4 weeks. GASP! How amazing would this be if it really works!?!?! According to an article on the Daily Mail, this is first being released in the UK and if successful, they will release it here in the U.S. Personally, I would so buy this since I am a victim of thick, dark underarm hair. What do you think? Would you buy this?

Stila has released their new Indian Summer Collection for Summer 2009. The colors are meant to give you that exotic Indian look and the packaging even comes with a bindi on it. I am obviously all over this because of the colors, but in my opinion, they could have done a lot more with the packaging, I mean, seriously I could have just taken any ol' palette and stuck on one of the zillion bindis I have at home. Aside from that, I am interested in trying out the new 24kt smudge pot in black noir. It's black with gold sparkles in it and you know I am all over anything with sparkles! Will keep you posted as to how the colors fare on this stuff. Stay tuned!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

In recent years I have been leaning more towards department store cosmetics, but every now and then I will dry out some drugstore brands, that is, after readings tons of reviews online. I have a lot of beauty products but I like to make sure that I buy stuff that I know I will use...it's the Indian-ness in me....I don't like spending money on stuff I know will go to waste.

Anyways, I have always been a fan of the Olay skincare products. My mom used Olay moisturizer for numerous years and has great skin, which lead me to start using their moisturizer a few years ago. I have since been experimenting will different brands, Clinique, Lancome, etc, and recently came back to Olay during my quest for a good eye treatment. I purchased the Regenerist Eye Lifting Serum and have been very happy with it! Now, granted, I am not sure if really is lifting and firming, since I don't have much to lift and firm, but I have noticed my undereye circles getting lighter! Even my mom mentioned something about it the other day, which means it's not just me and my delusional desire for this product to work.

If you are looking for an eye cream or serum, you might want to check this one out. =)

Monday, June 1, 2009

When I say that I LOVE the MAC Mineralize Skinfinishes, that is an understatement. I use the shimmery ones as highlighters and blushes, but I am a huge fan of the Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (MSF Natural) as a setting powder, or just as a daily powder when I don't wear any foundation. I recently discovered a trick that allows the MSF Natural to provide even more coverage! Instead of using a regular powder or duo-fibre brush, use a kabuki/buffer brush (like the MAC 182) and swirl it around the powder and then buff the powder into the skin in a circular motion. When I tried this method, it gave me the same coverage as foundation! It might not be full coverage, but I can definitely achieve up to medium coverage, which is perfect for work and everyday.

I am especially excited because I don't like to wear a lot during the summer, and it's a major plus when I can use one product to get the same result as 2 products. If you like the MAC Mineralize loose foundation, try this out. Using the MSF Natural seems to give the same coverage, but without the mess!